Design and Access Statement

6 Fellview Close, Ladybower Drive, Hathersage, S32 1DS

- A single storey ground floor extension to the east of the existing building
- A new garden room extension to the north to replace an existing conservatory
- A further small extension to the kitchen will create a more appropriate ground floor layout
- A ground floor toilet and shower room providing more accessible accommodation long term

(Street view of 6 Fellview Close: Corner entrance with minimal impact)

Planning Submission

26th April 2018 1.0 Introduction

We are submitting a planning application to extend the property’s ground floor and re-design the internal layout. The proposal consists of the following:

- A single storey ground floor extension to the east of the existing building
- A new garden room extension to the north which will replace an existing conservatory
- A further small extension to the kitchen will create a more appropriate ground floor layout
- A ground floor toilet and shower room providing more accessible accommodation long term

These changes will create a larger more accessible living and dining space.

2.0 Context - Describing the existing setting and design of the main dwelling, any outbuildings and surrounding development within 50 metres

(Including: topography, gradients, landscape features of note, detached, semi, terraced, number of storeys, predominant external materials in the street scene)

The property is a two storey, semi-detached, non-traditional house in a late 20th century development. Built of davy block, the house sits on a corner plot with an unusually large garden for the scale of the property. This leaves ample space for extension.

The house is attached to another property at the front of the plot and shares an alleyway with a property to the west. There is a row of semi-detached houses roughly 27 meters to the south, one of which shares a garden wall with 6 Fellview Close. Larger scaled properties on Ninelands Road, (45 meters to the east), face over the property but are screened by a large of area trees and planting.

3.0 Proposals – Explanation of how the size and siting of the proposal relates to the street scene and main dwelling and clarify details of the proposed external materials, including walls, roof, windows, doors and external hard surfacing

(This is to enable us to assess the impact of the design and its suitability for the site and wider locality)

As a corner plot the property has very minimal impact on the street scene and is largely screened off from the street by the attached property.

Small Kitchen Extension – The proposals include a small extension to the kitchen wall to bring it in line with the existing porch wall. By extending the kitchen a short distance a reasonably sized kitchen and dining arrangement is created. The new layout also helps connect the new dining room with the rest of the house. The small extension will be completed in stone or davy block to match with the existing and a new glazed roof will continue the existing porch roofline. As this extension is behind the existing porch and along the property’s garden access, there will be very minimal impact on the existing street scene.

Conservatory – the all glass conservatory will be replaced with a garden room extension built in stone to match the existing with an insulated slate roof. This will provide a more contemporary, sustainable solution whilst a large rear window will help maintain a connection to the garden.

Living Room Extension – The entrance currently opens straight into the client’s living room making it effectively a circulation space. The house was previously extended to create the ‘snug’, (as marked on drawing 002), however this space is undersized and doesn't provide enough space for all the occupants to sit down together. As a result the space is underused. The proposed extension, using stone work and a slate or hardrow tiled roof, (to match the existing), will create a new living room space, freeing up the current living space for a more appropriate entrance arrangement.

New WC – the new living room extension will allow space for a new cloakroom, WC and shower room within the entrance sequence. The ground floor WC will provide accessible accommodation for future use.

There will be no changes to the external hard surfacing. The extensions are all out of sight of the public highway so do not read with the wider development. As a result the enhancements proposed remain subservient to the existing buildings.

4.0 Environmental Management – Explanation of how energy conservation and the use of any renewable energy technology has been incorporated in the proposal.

Also refer to any sustainability measures such as grey water recycling, porous surfacing to control surface water run off and use of sustainable materials. You may also find it useful to refer and fill in the checklist in the application pack “Environmental Management Measures to combat Climate Change”.

The extension replacing the conservatory is designed to be more sustainable. The current arrangement with the uninsulated conservatory open into the insulated living spaces creates a significant energy loss. The proposed dining room will be an insulated extension of the living spaces. As a result the house will significantly increase in energy efficiency. 5.0 Impact – Explanation of any specific measures taken to protect the privacy and impact on the living conditions of neighbours windows

(For example: screening, positioning of access arrangements)

To reduce the impact on the privacy of the neighbours across the alleyway, (to the west), an existing window in the kitchen has been removed in the proposed extension. Instead the new connection with the proposed dining room will increase the light levels to the kitchen, alongside a new south facing window. Furthermore the dining room extension has significantly less glazing than the existing conservatory and therefore reduces any potential view over the neighbouring property.

As a result the proposed scheme represents a significant reduction in impact on the neighbouring property.

6.0 Pre-application advice received from Peak Park Planning Officers

The applicant received pre-application advice on a two storey structure in July 2017. (advice based on a two storey scheme which has been revised):

- ‘An extension of 3/3.5 meters is likely to be acceptable’
- ‘There would be no objection roof lights in the roof slope provided they are of a suitable scale for the roof slope they will serve and can be fitted flush into the roof slope’
- ‘The proposed single storey side extension ... is considered to be an subsidiary addition and raises no objections provided that the roof pitch is acceptable’

We have noted the planner’s advice regarding the pitch of the side extension and have kept the roof at a lower pitch than the main roof to ensure it reads as a subsidiary element.

- ‘It is hard to make a judgement without reviewing the proposal on an elevation. This would need to be included in an application so the highways department can review the proposal’

We have included a street elevation for review as suggested. • ‘Overall I consider the principle of the proposals to be acceptable’

This scheme is a significantly reduced proposal but still enables the applicant to increase accommodation and living space. The extension is now single storey and acts as a subsidiary element to the main building as requested in the advice above.

Further advice was given by Denise Hunt at a site meeting on the 13th of March following a planning application:

• ‘The kitchen extension utilising the recess between the porch and the house, is, in this instance, considered to be acceptable due to the location and the orientation of the dwelling, but as advised, it would be preferable to create a lean-to roof over both the porch and the kitchen extension so that it would be seen as one, rather than two elements’

We have noted the planner’s advice regarding the roof of the kitchen extension and have proposed one glazed roof to unite the porch and extension as one element.

• ‘The replacement of the existing conservatory with a more substantial garden room is also considered acceptable as it will present an enhancement to the existing; as previously advised, we would prefer to see a more traditional roof covering, and in this instance either hardrow to match the existing dwelling or blue slate would work well. However, we discussed the chimney and I stated my preference for a much less visually intrusive flue pipe, exiting through the roof slope and kept to a minimum height so that it did not protrude over the ridge height, a flue could be painted a matt colour to blend with the roof’

The comments regarding the dining room extension have also been accommodated and the stone chimney revised to a modest stove flue. A slate or concrete tile roof has been incorporated to give a clear connection between the extension and the existing property.

• ‘The problem is how to enlarge the snug without the massing being awkward, as initially noted, wraparound extensions can be contentious...I wonder whether instead of trying to extend to the east, the additional space could be created within the house, if the downstairs shower room and cloaks were swapped round then the snug/new living room could be extended inwardly to create a larger room in conjunction with an extension under PD rights’

We consider that the recommendation to find the required space within the building, (instead of extending to the east), will create an irregular layout in the kitchen and undermine the client’s aim of rationalising the internal spaces. Furthermore the suggested approach requires access from the new hall to the kitchen, under the stairs, at a point where insufficient head height can be achieved. As a result we believe the best solution to the client’s brief and to enhance the property for the future is to extend the living room/snug to the east and south as shown in the proposed drawings.

We have also responded to Denise Hunt’s advice by pitching the roof as a monopitch at 22 degrees, reducing the impact of the extension. As a result the large majority of the extension is a permitted development. See attached sketch fig.1 for a diagram expressing this relationship. The work not covered by permitted development adds just 1.2m width to the living room. We consider this to be a modest extension which provides a significant enhancement to the internal arrangement, enabling the house to function as a reasonably sized home and provide more accessible accommodation long term.

(fig.1 – Diagram demonstrating the side extension – the grey section is the area requiring approval. It represents a modest extension of 1.2m)

We believe the proposals represent an enhancement to the building elevation and improves the internal arrangement providing a more appropriate and desirable property.